Shadow Dragon (Dread Queen's War, #1)

A reluctant rider. A dragon egg given up for dead. A bond that could end an entire Age.
Nika is a farmer's daughter, more used to feeding goats than holding a sword. When she tricks her way into the trials to join the fabled Dragonspire, home of the dragonriders, it's with only one thing on her mind: to find her beloved Aunt Goura, who went missing there years before.
Except there's no sign of Goura, and Nika soon finds herself with a choice. She can follow orders, protect her future in the Spire, and keep searching for her aunt – or she can save a black dragon egg deemed too weak to survive.
Whatever path Nika takes will have consequences. With sabotage on the inside and enemies massing without, Dragonspire is under threat for the first time in centuries. Nika can stand aside and let the Spire fend for itself – or, when the dragonriders fight to protect their world from dark magic, she can be one of them.
SHADOW DRAGON is the first book in the Dread Queen's War, an epic fantasy set in an ancient world of high technology and elemental magic. If you love action, intrigue, found family – and dragons! – grab your copy and join the riders of the Spire today!

Amy has been writing for as long as she can remember, inspired by a childhood fascination with books. By the time she was fifteen and confronted with school 'careers guidance', she'd decided being an author was the only profession she could possibly enjoy - which, of course, led to a string of other roles, including Archaeology student, bookseller and library assistant. These days, she lives in the North Yorkshire countryside with her partner, where they run a bed & breakfast business and smallholding. When she's not working or writing, Amy enjoys reading, gaming, photography, and trying to pretend she's a grown-up.